I am a mom, grandmother, wife, sister, aunt, friend and neighbor. I walk my dog every day, support local businesses and cared for my elderly parents and parents-in-law and neighbors. I support the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts, cook for the homeless, attend and participate in my church community as well as other church communities in my neighborhood, and I volunteer. My home has always been open to anyone and everyone — teenagers who were kicked out of their homes, abuse victims, relatives and strangers who needed a place to land and to exchange students from six to 10 foreign countries.
I have worked since I was 11 years old — I know this because I can see it on the quarterly report that I receive from Social Security to help prepare me for retirement in the next few years. I have never given more than I have taken, and I try my best to pay it forward each and every day.
In short, I am a pretty average American. I have never been — at least to my face — called a despicable name, although once at work I can recall someone calling me a “b——” and even today it makes me chuckle a bit.
I love my country, our flag, my family, my God, our differences and kind people. I am generally at peace with myself and my God, and — wait for it — I am a white woman.
Now I look at Facebook and the news, and I am astounded by the vitriol and hatred extended to me because I did not vote for Hillary Clinton but voted for Donald Trump.
I am maligned by family and friends who have known and loved me my whole life. They may not have put my name to a Trump vote, but they have all made an unfounded and encompassing judgments about me: I do not love my country, I am racist, I am stupid, I have ruined the future for my children and my grandchildren, I have failed the earth, I am homophobic and so much more.
These are people who I have respected, loved, cared for, honored and been so proud to call family or friend, by many that I have never met nor ever will. Now each has made an outstanding and immediate opinion of me.
But they could not be more wrong. I voted for Trump with reservation for the man, but conviction that my vote meant something to the future of my country. Clearly, just as many voted for Clinton with that same reservation for the person herself but with conviction for what she stood.
I voted with my faith, with my conviction that our unborn children, children, elderly, military, homeless and law enforcement officers are precious and vulnerable, and they deserve our respect, support and love.
I voted for our Constitution to be as strong as it was intended to be, and especially to preserve the notion that our government is not intended to be our backbone, but we are intended to be the backbone of our government.
I voted so that every American is privileged to practice their faith without fear of persecution and to be a part of this great nation.
I am unequivocally more saddened about the hateful rhetoric that has become normal and acceptable over the past year than I am that Clinton lost the election. I struggle with the thought that people must make a mockery of anyone with whom they have had a difference of opinion and that it is not only acceptable, but it also must be posted and reposted and tweeted and commented upon ad nauseam.
I am profoundly sorry that our country is being defined in such hateful, despicable tones and divisiveness and that we have all contributed to that environment. We all sleep under the same stars. How refreshing if we all started acting human again and reaching for a hand and a smile rather than cutting words and shame. I know that I will.
Kathleen FitzGerald of Stockton Springs works for a bank, volunteers at the Bangor Area Homeless Shelter, Bucksport Recreation Department and St. Paul the Apostle.